The Investigation Bureau's plane soon landed at Shuize City International Airport. The investigators would rest there for one night before officially heading to the Xin Huo Training Base for exchanges and learning.
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.
Inside the temporary dormitory of the Shuize Branch, the lights were bright.
Many investigators, especially probationary investigators, were confused.
"Our training course at headquarters is only halfway through, why are we being transferred to Shuize City and have to participate in some exchange and learning?"
"The place we're going doesn't seem to be our Investigation Bureau's base. The higher-ups only said it's a training base for an organization."
"Not training at headquarters, but going to some base. It feels unreliable."
"Don't question the decisions from above."
"Hmph, how foolish. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's one thing not to cherish it, but you're complaining? Take a look at who among the official and special investigators have come this time."
A young man wearing a baseball cap walked by.
The probationary investigators didn't recognize him.
It was normal that they didn't recognize him. Among the three hundred people, many were from various branch bureaus. However, upon hearing the young man's words, they couldn't help but recall the delegation for this exchange.
Official investigators mostly came from various branch bureaus. These people weren't famous, so they didn't recognize them.
But special investigators were different; there were many well-known experts among them.
'Sword Master' Yang Chang, Deputy Director Huang's right-hand man, was a highly sought-after figure in the entire Investigation Bureau.
There were also 'Master Ma,' 'General,' 'Water Dragon,' and so on. All were experts, and many possessed exceptionally rare and powerful awakened abilities.
They were all big shots in the Investigation Bureau.
If such influential figures were also coming for exchange and learning, then they...
A few probationary investigators exchanged glances and saw joy in each other's eyes.
However,
There was still a tiny bit of doubt. What kind of place were they going to? Could there really be a better training base in the country than the Investigation Bureau headquarters?
It would be revealed tomorrow, but tonight was bound to be restless.
So was it for the young man in the baseball cap.
Xin Huo.
Of the entire building with three hundred investigators, perhaps no one understood Xin Huo better than him.
Once, he had opportunities, many opportunities. But in the end, he was an investigator. He belonged to the Investigation Bureau in life, and he would be a ghost of the Investigation Bureau in death.
He couldn't take off this uniform to join Xin Huo.
Even though their responsibilities were the same, fighting against the uncanny and maintaining stability, even though the unreliable Old Zhou didn't stop him.
He hesitated for a long time, and then gave up the opportunity.
It wasn't until recently that he heard he could go to Xin Huo as an investigator for exchange and learning. His blood began to boil again.
"I, Jiang Tingqiu, have eradicated countless uncanny beings, yet I haven't awakened."
"But once I awaken, I will surely soar like a dragon when the opportunity arises."
"This trip to Xin Huo is my chance to rise!"
"Just wait!"
He couldn't sleep all night.
The next day,
Buses drove out from the Shuize Branch towards the training base outside the city.
On the bus,
'Sword Master' Yang Chang instructed the captains of each team, "This opportunity is extremely rare, and you must cherish it. Not only should you cherish the training opportunity itself, but you must also learn Xin Huo's advanced training methods and summarize them to be suitable for our Investigation Bureau."
Yang Chang was looking forward to it.
He also felt pressured.
As someone close to Director Huang, he knew very well that the quota for this learning opportunity had been secured by the bureau at a considerable price.
A significant amount of 'Gui Jing' had been paid.
They would receive the same treatment as Xin Huo trainees, and if they performed excellently during training and assessment, they would still receive various rewards.
However, he was unsure of how effective the training would truly be, or if it was really that magical. Yang Chang had no confidence in his heart.
Even if it were truly miraculous, the benefit to this batch of trainees alone would not be enough.
Thinking this, the bus had arrived at the foot of the mountain where the training base was located. Without stopping, it followed the road upwards, all the way to the entrance of the training base.
...
The training base was bustling with activity today.
Not only were the exchange students from the Investigation Bureau about to arrive, but there were also hundreds of completely new recruits.
Most of these newcomers came from all over Donghuang. Among them were over twenty awakened individuals, all screened by Xiao Huan. Many of them were not even ghost hunters, but individuals with exceptional talent who had suddenly awakened under opportune circumstances... or rather, great crises.
They had not entered the circle of ghost hunters at all and had no understanding of the world lurking beneath reality. Most had been hiding their awakened identities until Xiao Huan found them and sent them invitations.
This also involved the infiltration of the gray fog, which was a prelude to the arrival of the tide of gray fog.
That's a story for another time.
In addition to the newcomers from all over Donghuang, there were a few new recruits from abroad, all excellent talents who had undergone screening. Many among them were professionals from various fields.
Xin Huo's talent reserve was constantly improving.
The base was lively inside and out, with many old trainees and official Xin Huo members busy welcoming the newcomers. Sun Hao was one of them.
"The Investigation Bureau's convoy has arrived."
Someone shouted.
In the distance, on the mountain road shrouded in a light white mist, buses were arriving one after another.
Sun Hao gazed out.
Many people were doing the same as him.
"I can't believe people from the Investigation Bureau are also coming to our base for training and learning. Our base is too awesome!"
"Xin Huo is forever divine, and the instructors are forever divine!"
Many people stood with their chests puffed out, filled with pride and honor.
At the very front stood a young man with a perfectly disciplined posture, not a single wrinkle on his uniform. He turned back and swept his gaze coldly, "Silence! Remember, any action you take represents the image of our Xin Huo. You must showcase our Xin Huo's spirit and demeanor!"
"The trainees from the Investigation Bureau will be training with us this time and competing together. What you need to do is not to fool around, but to work harder and fight harder! If you are surpassed by the people from the Investigation Bureau in the competition or assessment, you will not only disgrace yourselves, but also disgrace Xin Huo, and disgrace the instructors and mentors!"
The young man was named Fan Anyuan. He was a trainee from the second batch at this training base and also joined the organization in the second batch.
He had also awakened a very powerful ability: Shockwave.
In terms of strength, Fan Anyuan was no less inferior to Luo Rui, Xu Tian, and others. Moreover, because he handled matters with meticulousness and impartiality, he had been entrusted with important responsibilities.
This reception of the Investigation Bureau delegation was primarily led by Fan Anyuan and Xu Tian.
He walked forward.
"We have already arranged your living quarters. After a simple test, we will familiarize you with the base, and then we will officially begin training. Do you have any questions?"
He said.
Yang Chang naturally indicated that he had no problem.
They had come here for exchange and learning, and they wished it could start as soon as possible. If it were a polite reception with a meal and drinks, he would frown instead.
Xin Huo certainly acted decisively.
They never played games.
As they walked inside, Fan Anyuan introduced, "Following this, we will proceed with information registration. Each trainee will have their own trainee number and be assigned a trainee mobile phone. This phone will contain information about the facilities of this training base, and you can also check your training progress and accumulated points on your phone."
"Points can be used to redeem potions, equipment, apply for the use of special training grounds, and so on. If you have any questions about these, you can ask the older trainees."
"After that, you will all undergo a newcomer test, which mainly assesses physical fitness and mental strength. Awakened individuals will also need to test their awakened abilities, their strength, and so on. After the test, trainees with different abilities and performances will be assigned to different tiers of training classes and arranged for targeted reinforcement training courses."
Xin Huo was indeed very professional.
These were all things that needed to be recorded and reported to Director Huang later.
Yang Chang thought to himself.
Before long, they arrived at Field Four, the testing area.
Among the investigators, a small group had arrived: first-level investigators and special investigators.
Fan Anyuan pointed to a square platform not far away and said, "This is the two-dimensional testing instrument. Just stand on it, and it will detect your two-dimensional data. Get in line."
Yang Chang didn't understand what a two-dimensional testing instrument was, but he still organized the investigators to line up.
The queue was very orderly. Soon, an investigator stepped onto the platform. A blue light lit up around the edge of the square platform, and a light emerged from the bottom upwards, then quickly disappeared.
At the same time, two numbers appeared on the grayish-white wall beside it.
"Physique: 2.2"
"Spirit: 1.3"
These were the stats of a first-level investigator.
"Your physical condition is good."
"In the future, you can all come here to test your two-dimensional stats and check your progress."
Yang Chang also stepped onto it.
"Physique: 6.5"
"Spirit: 11.3"
He was a dual-awakened individual of the spirit-type.
He had a rough estimate of his own physical condition, and upon seeing it, he couldn't help but be secretly shocked. Xin Huo's detection method was simply incredible.
And being able to accurately measure physical condition and mental strength made it clear whether there was progress, and it provided more motivation for training.
The investigators were sequentially testing their two-dimensional stats, while Yang Chang had followed Fan Anyuan to another testing area.
"This is the ability testing instrument."
Although called an instrument, it occupied a considerable area, about seventy to eighty square meters.
The ground was paved with crystal-like stone slabs, square in shape. Four black cuboids stood at the corners. In the center, a large crystal radiating a faint blue light was suspended above the ground.
Even to the investigators, this scene looked fantastical.
Xin Huo's technology...
It was completely unscientific!
This place tested abilities, focusing on their application and burst.
A special investigator stepped forward to try. His ability was strength amplification.
Boom—
He threw a punch heavily towards the crystal, but it didn't touch it. Instead, ripples continuously appeared midway, and finally, a number appeared in the air above the testing area: 1.5.
It seemed a bit low.
No, this testing ground was specifically prepared for awakened individuals. It was estimated that a normal awakened strength was "1," so a result of 1.5 was normal.
Special investigators tested one after another, with scores generally between 1.3 and 2.5.
Yang Chang pointed to a master-level expert in the first awakening stage, "Water Dragon, go try."
The special investigator codenamed Water Dragon unleashed a blue water dragon that fiercely struck the crystal block.
Instantly, the score jumped to 4.9.
This was the difference!
Although the physique and spirit were not much different, the strength of abilities and the methods of application varied greatly among first-awakening individuals.
Xin Huo's instruments simply made it more evident.
At the same time, it recorded the ability's operational state, burst nodes, energy distribution, and so on when Water Dragon roared, which could be used to analyze and improve one's application methods!
This was not just a test!
The special investigators were also eager to try, and they took turns. Those with high scores naturally earned admiration. The strongest among the first awakenings was an investigator codenamed 'General,' who scored 5.1.
Soon, Master Ma from Baiyun Province stepped forward.
He unleashed an exceptionally high score of 14.5.
"Master Ma is indeed a dual-awakened individual!"
"Not only that, although Master Ma broke through not long ago, his marksmanship is superb. Even among dual-awakened individuals, he is a master. A dual-awakened individual I know clearly stated that he is inferior to Master Ma."
There were only two dual-awakened individuals in the Investigation Bureau's learning team.
After Master Ma's test, only Yang Chang remained.
Codename: Sword Master.
He took off his glasses, and the sword case behind him suddenly opened, releasing one, two, three standard-issue long swords.
A faint light emanated from the sword bodies.
Three swords flew out, like streaks of light, and struck the crystal block successively.
The ripples on it continued.
After a moment, a bright number appeared above the crystal block: 15.6!
The highest score on the field.
Many special investigators had never seen Yang Chang in action, and some only knew his name but not his face. At this moment, they finally understood why this seemingly gentle young man could be the team leader and Deputy Director Huang's right-hand man.
He not only had the ability to handle affairs but was also an absolute master!
What about the people at Xin Huo base?
Since we have traveled thousands of miles to train and learn here, you must have some real skills, right? Are you living up to your reputation?
Many special investigators looked towards Fan Anyuan, Xu Tian, and the others.
But they didn't speak.
After all, they were all investigators, and they had discipline.
However, some of them had a look of defiance in their eyes.
Xu Tian noticed this and said, "Brother Fan, it's been two days since I last tested myself. Since we're here, I might as well test myself and see how much I've improved."
...
ps: This is the last day of the month, and we're only a little bit away from three thousand votes. Please cast your monthly votes. Let the little author draw another prize. Those who haven't voted for monthly votes yet, hurry up ←_←.
Now, I'm asking for the guaranteed monthly votes for April.